Ghostly Tales
by ElectricSnowman
Summary: A series of one-shots involving the 3 ghost cousins: Napstablook, Mettaton, and Mad Dummy! (Mostly Mad Dummy. Did I mention I freakin' LOVE Mad Dummy? :P) Whether hilarious or serious, what sort of shenanigans will they find themselves on the surface?
1. Golden Flower Tea

**I personally think that Napstablook was inside the dummy in the Ruins the entire time, so that's why I don't think of it as a different ghost :P**

* * *

 _"Oh…w-wow…"_

Napstablook was on his brand new laptop (given to him by Mettaton, of course), reading some of the comments to his latest music mix he had posted online. All of them were quite positive, to his surprise, and he almost felt like crying from all the kindness.

 ** _SLAM!_**

The front door slamming open was a sure enough sign that Mettaton was home. Now that Napstablook thought about it, it was pretty odd their front door hadn't broken off yet.

Deciding to go see his cousin, Napstablook gently shut his laptop and slid it under his bed. He took off his headphones and phased out of his room, heading to the kitchen.

"Blooky! Are you enjoying that new laptop, darling?" Mettaton grinned once he caught sight of the ghost.

Napstablook nodded, but he seemed to be staring at the counter. _"Um…where did all this tea come from…?"_

"Hm?" Mettaton turned around and studied the kitchen counter, which was almost entirely full of tea boxes—specifically golden flower tea. "Oh, you wouldn't _believe_ how cheap this stuff was from the market! They had this big sale going on, and you know I couldn't _possibly_ turn it down!" The robot beamed, obviously proud with himself for taking this opportunity.

Napstablook blinked at him. _"But…you don't even like tea…"_

"Hm? Sure I do, darling!"

 _"Since…um…when…?_ " Napstablook didn't want to argue, but he didn't see any purpose in having all this tea if hardly anyone would drink it.

Mettaton opened his mouth to answer, but nothing came out, unsurprisingly. He frowned. "Well, I'm sure I drank tea that one time when I…no, no…that's not right…but! There was that time when Alphys—no, wait, she gave me some, but I didn't like it...oh, shoot." He started laughing. "You're right, Blooky. I _don't_ like tea! How about that?"

Napstablook smiled a little. _"So…what's all this tea for, then…?"_

"Hm…" Mettaton scratched his head. "Well, you like tea, don't you?"

 _"Sometimes…but…I think this may be a bit too much…"_ Napstablook whispered, not wanting Mettaton to be upset that he wasted his money.

"Oh." Mettaton shrugged, not seeming disappointed at all. "That's fine, darling! Say, why don't you go find someone who likes golden flower tea and give them these? After all, I'd hate for all this to go to waste!"

Napstablook stiffened. _"…Me? Oh…c-couldn't you…um…"_

Mettaton looked at his watch and gasped. "Oh shoot! I'm almost late for my show! I'm terribly sorry, Blooky, but I need to get going! I'll see you later tonight, okay?" He gave the ghost a quick hug before heading out the door. "Goodbye!"

 _"Bye…Metta,"_ Napstablook mumbled as the door slammed shut. He looked over at all the tea boxes and sighed. _"Oh…why me…?"_

* * *

 _"Tea…I have tea…"_ Napstablook spoke lowly as he flew around town with all the tea boxes bundled in his stubby arms.

About a month ago, trying to get the attention of several people would've been his worst fear come to life. However, performing with Mettaton had lessened that fear a tiny bit. Of course, that didn't mean he was now fully comfortable with crowds and people in general, though.

 _"Uh…excuse me…but do you—oh…they left…"_ He turned around. _"H-Hey…w-would you…um…oh, you're probably busy…sorry…"_ The more he tried to talk, the more he just wanted to disappear. Pretty soon, everyone who passed by him quickly darted away when seeing nothing but a bunch of random, floating tea boxes.

 _"Oh…I'm sorry Mettaton…I can't do this…"_ Napstablook was ready to fly back home when someone bumped into the tea boxes by mistake. They spilled out of his grip and onto the sidewalk.

"What the—?" The figure whirled around, and Napstablook recognized them as Undyne.

 _"S-sorry…I…I'm sorry…"_ Napstablook quickly faded back into view.

"Oh, hey Napstablook! I didn't see you there…" Undyne chuckled as she helped pick up the tea boxes. "Wow. That's a LOT of tea you got there. I thought Mettaton hated tea?"

 _"He does, but he forgot…he wanted me to give these to someone who might want them so they won't go to waste…"_ Napstablook explained as he picked up some as well.

"Oh." Undyne blinked, and she suddenly lit up. "Oh! You know who would _really_ like all that tea? Asgore!"

It took a moment for the name to register. After all, Napstablook didn't know Asgore that well. _"Wait…th-the…the king…?"_ His eyes widened, and he swallowed hard as he shivered. _"…The…king…?"_ He felt a bit lightheaded for a second. Someone as insignificant as himself being in the presence of someone so high in power…it struck terror into him just _thinking_ about it. Why would someone as _distinguished_ as Asgore want anything from _him?_ …A measly _ghost?_

"Well," Undyne shrugged, "he's not really the king anymore. But I suppose the monsters still look up to him like one at times."

That answer didn't seem to ease Napstablook in the slightest. _"Ohh…I…I can't…"_ He vigorously shook his head. _"He shouldn't need anything from me…he probably has all sorts of fancy things already, and…"_ he stared at the ground solemnly, _"king or not, he's probably a busy guy…I'll just be a bother…"_ He started to fly away.

"Napstablook! Wait!" Undyne stepped out in front of him, and he stopped. She was surprised the ghost didn't end up phasing right through her. "Don't be ridiculous!"

 _"I know he's a nice guy…but I'm sure everyone gives him lots of tea all the time…"_ he whispered.

Undyne shook her head with a frustrated sigh. Calming down a bit, she knelt down to match his height. "Hey, you wanna know somethin'? Asgore was happy to talk to _anyone_ back in the underground. If anyone had an issue, or they just wanted to chat, Asgore was always there for them. I mean, no matter what duties he had, he would literally drop everything and tend to anyone who visited him! Heck, you could visit him at _midnight_ , and he'd STILL be happy to chat! So don't go tellin' me he'll be bothered by someone like you!" She laughed.

Napstablook attempted to smile, but he still seemed a bit distant as his gaze remained on the ground.

Undyne stood up. "Don't be afraid to see him, Napstablook. I wouldn't be surprised if you'd wind up being good friends, what with your mellow attitudes and all! So go out and share some tea, punk!" She patted his back and headed down the sidewalk.

Napstablook watched her for a while before he glanced down at the tea boxes. Even if Asgore was as nice as everyone said, Napstablook always had issues with meeting new people. _"Ohhh...Mettaton…I wish you were here…"_ He whimpered. He thought about getting help from Mad Dummy, but knew that his angry cousin had a bit of social anxiety just like him, if not even _worse_ than him at times.

Regardless of his fear, Napstablook gradually flew forward. He knew that was what Mettaton would want him to do, anyway.

* * *

Asgore's house wasn't hard to find at all. In fact, it was the only house that had an abundance of golden flowers blooming all over the yard, as well as a couple strung alongside the walls with vines. The sight would take anyone's breath away.

Napstablook gaped at the house for a good minute or so, overwhelmed by all the elegance. It intimidated him, only reminding him of just how worthless he really was…

 _(No…not worthless…I have my cousins…I have my…friends…)_

Napstablook shook away his doubt and flew towards the door. He gave it a soft knock as he sucked in a deep breath, repeating those words in his mind.

"Just a moment!" a deep voice called as footsteps made their way to the entrance. The door opened, and Napstablook was greeted by a very tall, very large, goat-like monster who almost took up the entire space of the door. "Howdy!" Asgore politely greeted. "How can I help you?"

Napstablook slowly raised his head to see his face, suddenly feeling very small. Anxiety consumed him so much that he would've completely forgot the reason he was here if it weren't for the tea boxes he was holding. _"I…"_ He started shaking. _"I…um…"_

Asgore's eyes seemed to light up in recognition. "Oh? Hold on…do I know you from somewhere? You look awfully familiar."

Napstablook was frozen stiff. How on earth would Asgore know _him?_ The former king…recognizing one simple little ghost…out of the entire _underground?_

Asgore chuckled a little as he remembered where he had seen Napstablook. "Oh, of course! You used to own a snail farm, did you not?"

 _"Y…Yes…?"_ Napstablook was awfully confused.

"Ah, I was right! I used to stop by from time to time to buy snails. I do apologize for not properly introducing myself before." Asgore smiled gently, and Napstablook's eyes widened.

 _"Oh…you're Asgore…"_ The ghost was absolutely baffled. That 'hairy guy' who showed up once a month to buy snails was none other than the king himself! _"I remember now…"_ He nodded, starting to feel a bit more comfortable around Asgore.

Asgore finally took notice of the tea boxes in Napstablook's arms. "What is that you have there?" He asked curiously.

 _"Um…it's tea…golden flower tea…my cousin bought it all, but then he realized he actually hated tea…"_ Napstablook told him, looking down.

"Is that so? That's a shame; it's quite delicious."

 _"He told me to give it to someone so it wouldn't go to waste, and Undyne said that you would like it, so…"_ Napstablook handed the boxes to Asgore, who took them.

"Why thank you! Golden flower tea is my favorite." Asgore headed inside to set them on the counter, then shortly returned.

 _"You're welcome…"_ Napstablook smiled a little and turned around to leave, but Asgore spoke up.

"Wait a moment. Why don't you come in?" The boss monster stepped aside. "You don't hate tea as well, do you?"

 _"Oh…I kinda like it…but…"_ Napstablook would've said that he needed to get home, but he didn't want to lie. After all, Mettaton wouldn't be back until later tonight.

"Please, let me give you my hospitality for all this lovely tea!" Asgore told him. "It'd be rather disappointing to have all this tea and no one to share it with!"

 _"I…I shouldn't…I'm sure you could find someone more interesting than me…"_ Napstablook mumbled, shyly facing the ground.

Asgore looked surprised. "My friend, it's certainly no trouble at all!" He placed a hand on his head with a smile. "Interesting or not, a kind soul such as yourself is always welcome here. You were always quite cordial and friendly to me when I came to the farm. Allow me to return the favor."

It took Napstablook a moment to think it over, but he ultimately decided that staying for a bit wouldn't do him any harm. _"Okay…"_ He nodded as he headed inside. _"Th-thanks…"_

"Anytime, my friend. If you don't mind me asking, what is your name?" Asgore asked as he shut the door behind him.

 _"Oh…I'm Napstablook…"_ Napstablook awkwardly took a seat at the table.

"Well, then it's a pleasure to meet you properly, Napstablook." Asgore smiled as he took a tea box. "So, how about that tea, hm?" The ghost nodded. "I'll return shortly. Feel free to help yourself to whatever you need!"

Napstablook sighed in content. It was rather nice to speak with someone as calm and compassionate as Asgore. Undyne was definitely right—they did have a bit in common with their personality traits, and Napstablook knew he wouldn't mind coming again sometime.

* * *

 **Asgore deserves some love, so since I've hardly written anything with him, I decided now was the time since I imagine he and Napstablook would get along pretty well :3**


	2. Introversion

"I DO SAY, UNDYNE…" Papyrus promptly finished his plate of spaghetti and eagerly folded his hands together, "THIS COOKING LESSON IN PARTICULAR FELT A BIT LESS… _PASSIONATE_ THAN USUAL."

Undyne rested her fist against her cheek, glaring at the wall. It was hard to tell if she was even listening or not.

Papyrus finally seem to take notice that something was off. "ARE YOU FEELING ALRIGHT, UNDYNE?" He looked concerned.

Undyne groaned lightly and wearily covered her face with her hands. "I just don't know what to do, Papyrus!"

Papyrus scratched his head. "EH…DO ABOUT WHAT?"

Undyne slammed her fist onto the table. "It's Alphys! She's always staying cooped up in here all day! I've tried to get her to go out and get some air or something, but I…I can't!" She nearly pulled her hair. "I'm worried about her, Papyrus. She keeps telling me she's okay, but what if something is really wrong?"

Papyrus frowned, stepping forward to comfort his friend. "DON'T CRY, UNDYNE! THE GREAT PAPYRUS IS HERE FOR YOU!"

"I'm not crying, you dork." Undyne grumbled, gently shoving him back. "I just…I don't know what to do. I want her to go out, but I want her to be happy, too…"

Papyrus blinked for a moment. "HM…YOU DO NOT BELIEVE ALPHYS IS HAVING ISSUES WITH YOUR YARD-FRIEND, IS SHE?"

"My yard-friend? What are you—" Undyne cut herself off, realizing that he was talking about Mad Dummy, who lived in her yard. "Oh. No, not that I know of." She shook her head. "As far as I know, they rarely even communicate. But that's only because she stays inside all day! And as for Mad, he just sticks around in the yard all day—" She paused.

Papyrus raised a brow. "UNDYNE? DO YOU—"

"Shut up for a moment. I've got an idea." Undyne's eyes widened.

"OOH! WHAT IS IT?"

Undyne grinned. "Papyrus, you're a genius. I'll be hittin' two birds with one stone on this one."

Papyrus gasped loudly. "U-UNDYNE? NO! DON'T HIT ANY BIRDS!"

Undyne nearly leapt from the table and headed down the hall to Alphys's room. "Alphys!"

Alphys was in the middle of an anime episode on her laptop, but she quickly paused it upon hearing Undyne. "Y-yes, Undyne? Is everything okay?"

"I have a bit of a favor to ask of you, Al." Undyne gestured for her to follow, and they both headed out towards the front door.

"U-Undyne…? What are you doing—"

Undyne jerked the door open and searched the yard for Mad Dummy. "YO, MAD!"

Mad Dummy grudgingly stuck his head out from behind a bush. "Ugh…what…?"

Undyne saw him and smiled. "Hey, Mad. You know Alphys, right?"

Mad Dummy raised a suspicious brow. "Uh…right—"

"WRONG!" Undyne promptly cut him off as she tossed Alphys out the door. Luckily, her fall was broken by the dummy as they both hit the ground. "You two should get out there and get to _really_ know each other!"

Unharmed, Alphys scrambled to her feet as Mad Dummy shook off his dizziness. "Wait…what—"

"YEAH! YOU CAN'T ESCAPE FRIENDSHIP!" Papyrus poked his head out as he beamed in agreement, and Undyne chuckled.

Alphys rubbed her head. "Undyne, w-what are you talking about?"

"What? You seem lonely, and Mad seems lonely! I'm doin' you both a favor! Go out there and have fun! Live a little! Talk a little! Enjoy the fresh air! You both need it!" Undyne patted Papyrus on the back.

"I'm outside all the time, dummy! I've got plenty of fresh air!" Mad Dummy grouched. "I'm going back to sleep."

Undyne narrowed her eyes at him. Before he could hop away, she stormed down the steps and snatched his neck. "Don't argue with me," she hissed lowly. "I'm doing this for Alphys. She needs to get out more, so just be nice; show her around town or something. I mean, heaven knows how much _you_ need to get out more, too."

"Since when do I have to listen to you?" Mad Dummy snarled.

Undyne started laughing, and Alphys looked at her in concern. " _My_ property, _my_ rules, punk. I'm surprised you haven't learned that in the entire 15 years you've lived in my yard." The dummy groaned and rolled his eyes, but Undyne still didn't release him. "Oh, and one more thing—if you so much as raise your voice at Alphys, you can say goodbye to that knife of yours."

Mad Dummy's scowl immediately vanished, and his eyes widened in horror. "You _wouldn't."_

"Try me."

They both stared at each other quite intensely for a moment, but Mad Dummy finally cracked. "Okay _okay OKAY!_ Fine! I'll do it. But don't think this means I'll be doing favors for you all the time, now." He sighed as he hopped over to Alphys.

"U-Um…" Alphys looked at Undyne, who simply gave her a thumbs-up and a smile. Alphys still wasn't too sure about this idea, but knew she couldn't back down now. "I…guess we can g-go now…"

"I'll lead the way," Mad Dummy muttered, hopping away. Alphys reluctantly followed, not wanting Undyne to be upset with her.

"ARE YOU CERTAIN THIS WILL HELP THEM OUT?" Papyrus asked Undyne once they were out of earshot.

"Definitely, Papyrus. After all, Mad can be a pretty good guy. It's about time they get to know each other since he practically _lives_ with us." Undyne shrugged as they headed inside.

* * *

Alphys and Mad Dummy didn't speak one word to each other once they left, and even when they made their way into the city. Both of them seemed too intimidated to even _look_ at each other.

"So…" Mad Dummy finally broke the silence, and Alphys flinched. "You're the one who created Mettaton's body, right?" He was staring at the ground.

Unbeknownst to them both, Alphys had been also looking at the ground the entire time. "Y-Yeah…it took a really long time, b-but…I guess it was worth it in the end." She almost expected the dummy to ask her for a body, too, but he just nodded and remained silent. Feeling as though he was too shy to ask, she decided to help him out. "U-Um…is there…uh…any particular reason you asked? …O-Or—"

"I don't really want a body, if that's what you mean," Mad Dummy sighed. When seeing her look of surprise, he rolled his eyes. "Okay, I'll admit that I was a bit jealous of Mettaton's body and all, but…I've been the 'Mad Dummy' for so long, and I don't feel like changing my name again!" He pouted, but his visage gradually began to soften. "Besides…being corporeal doesn't really matter to me anymore. There's no way I'm letting that get in the way of my cousins ever again."

Alphys stared at him a bit before nodding. "O-Okay…s-so you don't mind being a dummy at all?"

He scoffed. "Been one for nearly 20 years. Why would it bother me now?" He thought more about it and grew quieter. "Also, I…I don't want a body like Mettaton's because…I don't want people to know I was jealous of him. I don't want anyone to make fun of me for it, or judge me, or…" He shook his head, not wanting to stay on the subject. "It's best I just stay the way I am, and I'm fine with that."

Alphys nodded, her gaze falling back to the floor. "Wow…"

"What?" He frowned.

"It-it's just…I never would've thought that y-you'd be the type to care about what people think of you. I a-always imagined you to be someone who j-just…um...seemed so bold, a-and…" She trailed off, not quite sure what else to say.

"Why do you think I stay in the yard all day?" Mad Dummy grumbled. "To stay away from people. I _hate_ people."

"O-Oh." Alphys became a lot quieter after that.

Thinking he offended her, Mad Dummy quickly spoke up, "I don't hate _you_ , Alphys. It's just…hard for me to trust people due to past experiences. In fact…the main reason I stay in the yard all day is because I trust you and Undyne far more than I trust most people."

Alphys looked his way in shock. "B-But…we hardly even know each other. Why would you trust someone like _m-me?"_

"Well, I've known Undyne for over 15 years. And…well, I've seen how happy you make her. Not to mention all that you did for Mettaton…" He shrugged. "You seem like a nice person."

"R…Really?" Alphys whispered. "I m-mean…I'm not really the g-greatest person…trust me…"

"At least you're better than _me_ ," Mad Dummy told her. "You don't threaten to stab whoever looks at you funny."

"Heh…" Alphys laughed a little. "W-Well…th…thanks. To be honest, I…didn't think you liked me that much…" She looked down.

Mad Dummy didn't seem to look surprised. "Yeah…I tend to have that effect on people," he mumbled. "But trust me when I say that I never thought anything bad of you. Mettaton talked about you a _lot_ once we reunited. I…sort of been wanting to thank you for a while now, but I just…um…never got around to it until now, I suppose." He glanced away. "Sorry. I've just never been good at talking to people."

"I-I understand," Alphys smiled. "You're n-not the only one who...um…is afraid of people sometimes..."

"Whoa whoa whoa—hold it right there! I said I _hated_ people; I'm not _scared_ of them…" Mad Dummy began, but his words trailed off once he began to realize just how right she was. He whipped his head forward, turning red as he refused to speak any further.

Alphys could sense his embarrassment. "It o-okay…" she said quietly, patting his back. "W-we can stop t-talking about it, if you want."

Mad Dummy only responded with a nod as he stared at the ground.

"Y-You know…I think I've figured out why you and Undyne get along so well."

He frowned. "Why?"

"You're…you're a lot like her, y-yet you're a lot like me, too," Alphys pointed out.

Mad Dummy blinked for a moment. "I…am?"

Alphys nodded. "Y-you're aggressive and t-tough like her, but o-on the inside you have…insecurities about yourself, like me." She twiddled her thumbs. "That's why we b-both tend to stay away from people…why I stay inside and you stay in the yard…"

Mad Dummy hated admitting his weaknesses, but he couldn't bring himself to object to her words.

"Oh, I'm s-sorry," Alphys immediately shook her head and looked nervous. "I-I said we'd stop t-talking about this, didn't I? S-sorry…I wasn't thinking—"

"No, it's fine," the dummy interrupted in a mutter. "You're right. I guess this is why Undyne forced us _both_ out, huh?" He rolled his eyes.

"I do a-admit, though…" Alphys looked down at her feet, "…I think it was a pretty good idea. I f-feel a bit better talking to someone who…um…understands my i-issue, I guess."

Mad Dummy had to admit, it helped him a bit, too. "Yeah," he mumbled, but soon shook his head. "But if you tell anyone about this—"

"Who would I t-tell?" Alphys asked with a small laugh. "What were we just t-talking about?"

Mad Dummy stared at her for a moment, then got what she meant. He chuckled and decided to forget it, knowing that she obviously wouldn't go around telling people about his personal issues. "Thanks."

* * *

 **Decided to give Alphys some love, too, since I've hardly written anything with her. XD I've put so much interaction between Mad Dummy and Undyne, but none between him and Alphys.**


	3. An Unlikely Savior

"I…don't think that's what an apology sounds like, Maddy."

"Oh, bite me!"

Mettaton and Mad Dummy were taking a stroll down the sidewalk. Normally, the two cousins weren't exactly too keen on hanging out with each other, but they strived to grow closer for Napstablook's sake.

Still, the problem was that Mad Dummy and Mettaton had pretty much _nothing_ in common.

"I still don't think it was appropriate for you to snap at Burgerpants like that," Mettaton frowned.

"Don't _you_ do that all the time?" Mad Dummy huffed, not looking at him.

"Darling, I know he's bad at his job, but I break it to him _softly_."

Mad Dummy rolled his eyes. "Whatever. _Whatever. WHATEVER!"_

Mettaton decided to give it a rest. With a sigh, he shook his head. "Forget it, Maddy. Let's just hope you didn't scare off the poor simpleton."

"Like _you_ would care—" Mad Dummy stopped speaking as soon they passed by an alleyway.

"Hm?" Mettaton turned around.

Mad Dummy glanced to his side, hearing a bit of shuffling. "Stay here." He hopped over to see what the deal was.

Mettaton didn't usually take orders, but chose to obey for now.

Mad Dummy could see a silhouette in the shadows. It looked as if it was constantly trying to stand, but failing miserably.

 _"And just when I thought it was over…HA! What a joke. Who am I kidding…"_

"Hey!" Mad Dummy called, and the monster immediately froze.

Upon closer examination, the monster turned out to be Gyftrot. Mad Dummy barely even knew the deer-like creature, only hearing about him from several other monsters. Gyftrot was known as the victim of several pranks—especially involving his tree-like antlers. Unsurprisingly, numerous items and random junk were currently littered across his branches.

Upon seeing Mad Dummy, Gyftrot backed up, but had only fallen over again, not able to withstand the weight of all the 'decorations'. "Go ahead. Just get it over with," the monster hissed, shutting his eyes.

Mad Dummy was silent. He hopped over to Gyftrot and narrowed his eyes for a moment, looking over the creature. Slowly, he took off a shoe that was hanging off one of the branches.

Gyftrot opened his eyes and stared at him. "… _What?"_

Mad Dummy didn't respond. He took off another item—a package of cotton balls, to be exact.

"…W…what on earth are you _doing?"_ Gyftrot sneered, trying to hold back his tears.

The dummy scowled. "Oh, shut it," he grouched. "Just be glad _someone's_ helping you." He plucked off an old sock, as well as a lunch box.

That quieted down Gyftrot for a moment, but he still didn't understand. " _You_. I've heard that you're one of the most hostile people around here." Mad Dummy paused as he raised a brow. "…Threatening to stab whoever's in your way…shouting at everyone when you don't get what you want…" Gyftrot stared at the ground. "Yet…why? Why _help_ me? You of ALL people?"

Mad Dummy pursed his lips, taking off a plastic bag. "Let's just say I know first-hand what it's like to be picked on, mocked, and bullied." He took off the last item—a small birdhouse—and tossed it aside. "There. That's the last one."

Gyftrot took this opportunity to stand up, pleased by the weight that had been lifted off him. "…Thank you." He smiled before hobbling off.

"No one else should endure what I've gone through," Mad Dummy muttered, turning around to leave. As soon as he stepped foot out of the alley, there Mettaton stood, waiting for him.

"Maddy…" The robot's grin was wide.

"Wha—I thought I told you to stay back!" Mad Dummy hollered, but Mettaton ignored his shout.

"And to think I thought we had nothing in common!" Mettaton pulled him into a tight hug. "I'm so proud of you!"

Mad Dummy struggled, but eventually gave up. "Fine _fine FINE!_ …Just…don't tell anyone about this…'kay?" he grumbled.


	4. Burgerpants

Mad Dummy rarely came to MTT Resort for two reasons: one, his hatred of people and crowds, and two, it was _Mettaton_ —his complete opposite when it came to reputations. It was quite embarrassing to have a cousin that was rich, famous, and loved by everyone, whereas everyone either avoided you or sent you nasty glares wherever you went.

Mettaton wasn't going to let Mad Dummy avoid him any longer, however. After a whole lot of arguing, a lot of smacking, and a lot of crying (mostly from Napstablook), Mad Dummy finally listened to Mettaton. He decided he would head over to MTT Resort later that day, with the only exception that he was accompanied by Napstablook.

 _"Thank you, Mad…Mettaton will really appreciate this…"_ Napstablook smiled a little as he and his cousin made their way across the street.

"Yeah, well, I guess it won't kill me," Mad Dummy seethed. The only reason he finally gave in was for Napstablook, after all. When it came to upsetting Mettaton, Mad Dummy knew the robot could easily brush it off the next day, but when it came to upsetting Napstablook, Mad Dummy would never forgive himself.

Once the two showed up at MTT Resort, Napstablook began to head to the room where Mettaton was preforming.

"Hey, do you want something to eat while we're here?" Mad Dummy asked, pointing his head towards the MTT-Brand Burger Emporium straight ahead.

 _"Oh…I might just get something to drink from the other room…you go ahead…"_ Napstablook told him before he flew away.

Mad Dummy shrugged and hopped forward, taking a look at the sign set out in front of the burger shop. His mind began to wander, but just before he could forget about his earlier frustration, a faint voice caught his attention.

"…Ya kiddin' me? My shift ended _ages_ ago. But does he care? Pfft."

The dummy raised a brow in curiosity, inching forward to get a glimpse of the worker. His back was facing him, and he seemed to be on the phone.

"Seriously!? _Grateful!?_ I could get more money cleaning up some _junkyard_ than working for some pretentious, twisted ol' rectangle!"

Mad Dummy flinched. Wait…was this guy talking about _Mettaton?_

"…Did I even tell you what he did to me the other day? He freakin' spritzed me with some spray bottle to 'keep me in line'. And the songs. Gosh, don't even get me started with the songs! He's a _sadist_ , Nicey! A SADIST!"

 **"AHEM."**

When hearing Mad Dummy loudly clear his throat, Burgerpants whipped his head around. The cat-monster sighed and rolled his eyes. "Got a customer, Nicey. Catch ya later." With a grumble, he put his phone away and folded his hands across the counter, plastering on the biggest, fakest smile he could muster. "Welcome to MTT-Brand Burger Emporium, home of the Glamburger! Sparkle up your day™!"

At this point, Mad Dummy lost his appetite (or rather, he forgot about it in the first place). "Excuse me," he, too, forced a smile through gritted teeth, "but who were you talking about on the phone?"

"Ha ha. Sorry. Can't talk to customers who haven't bought anything," Burgerpants answered hollowly, still wearing that phony smile of his.

Mad Dummy was fuming. "One Starfait," he hissed, retaining his false grin as well. Two can play at this game.

Burgerpants turned around to get his order, moving in a very monotonous manner, almost like a machine. Within a minute or two, he set the Starfait on the counter. "That's 60 G."

Mad Dummy handed him the gold. "Now, who were you talking about?" he muttered, all patience beginning to vanish.

Burgerpants seemed too lost in thought to hear him as he took the gold. "Hm?"

 ** _SPLAT!_**

The Starfait was launched straight into his face. Burgerpants tripped and fell backwards before crashing into the wall behind him. Once recovering from the shock, the teenager shakily rose to his feet and tried to wipe the contents off his face as best he could. "Alright, little weirdo…what gives!?" he growled.

 **"I ASKED YOU A _QUESTION_ , BUB!" **Mad Dummy roared as he leapt onto the counter.

Burgerpants was so startled he fell over again. "Yeesh! I was just talkin' about my boss—"

"THEN YOU LISTEN HERE, BOZO—THERE'S ONLY **_ONE_ ** PERSON WHO CAN TALK CRAP ABOUT MY COUSIN, AND THAT'S **_ME!_** Y'HEAR ME!?" The furious dummy hollered.

"W-Wait—Mettaton's your _cousin?"_ Burgerpants looked absolutely horrified. He already knew about Napstablook, but it seemed his boss failed to mention his _other_ cousin.

"WHAT ARE YOU, **_DEAF!?"_** Mad Dummy towered over him with his knife.

"H-Hey, hey…can't we work somethin' out, little weirdo?" Burgerpants tried to reason with him, but Mad Dummy wasn't having any of it.

"HOW ABOUT YOU KEEP THAT TRAP OF YOURS SHUT BEFORE I SHUT IT **_FOR_** YOU, YOU LOW-LIFE—!"

 _"…M-Mad!?"_

Mad Dummy whirled around, catching sight of Napstablook, who was behind the counter and ogling them in terror. "Napstablook!" He instantly hid his knife. "I was just—I—um…" He looked down and realized he was still on the counter, so he hopped down and cleared his throat. "I was just…ordering a Starfait…"

 _"I-I was just wondering what was taking you so long…"_ Napstablook slowly flew back a little. _"S-Sorry…I should've just waited like I said I would…"_

"N-NO! No! It's fine!" Burgerpants nearly screamed, knowing that he'd most likely get killed by Mad Dummy if Napstablook left.

Mad Dummy shot him a deadly glare before he faced Napstablook. "Y'know…it turns out I wasn't as hungry as I thought I was. Did you find us a seat?"

 _"Y-yeah…"_ Napstablook timidly nodded as they both left the burger shop.

Burgerpants was still flat on the floor, cringing at the yogurt that still dripped from his face. He attempted to bend forward, but gave up and let his head hit the floor as he moaned, "Ohh why me…?"

* * *

 **I actually hinted towards this moment in my story "Pastry Pandemonium", so I decided to actually write out what happened. XD**

 **And yes, Burgerpants was talking to the Nice Cream Guy on the phone :3**


	5. First Snowfall

**I'm terribly sorry for not updating this sooner, but with college starting and such, so much was going on all at once. Also, I've been WAY more active when it comes to drawing comics for my Undertale ideas rather than writing fanfics (my username for DeviantArt is FireBird-Mutation if you ever want to check them out).**

* * *

"Zzzzzzz…."

Mad Dummy twitched for what seemed like the hundredth time, wrinkling his nose to get rid of whatever had fallen on it.

"Mmm…stop it…"

 _*plop!*_

 **"AGH! THAT'S IT!"** His eyes glowed red as they opened, and his knife was firmly in his grip. **"WHO KEEPS DROPPING THINGS ON MY NOSE!? SHOW YOURSELF, OR ELSE I'LL…** I'LL…"

The first thing that struck Mad Dummy as odd was the fact that his bush was pure white. Wondering what he was standing in, he glanced down and noticed he was two feet deep in snow. Squeaks of joy were heard around him, and he watched as his minions happily made snow-dummies and buried themselves.

"No." Mad Dummy's pupils shrank. **"…NO."**

* * *

 ** _"BLOOKY!"_**

Napstablook let out a squeak as his eyes shot open. _"M-Mettaton!?"_ He flew up from his bed and looked around his room.

 **"BLOOKY COME OVER HERE! QUICK!"**

Worried that his cousin might be in trouble, Napstablook hastily flew through his door and to Mettaton's room right next door. _"I-Is something wrong? Are you hurt?"_ He tried hard to hold back his tears.

Mettaton didn't seem to look hurt in any way; the robot was atop his own bed, bouncing up and down with delight as he gazed out the window.

Napstablook was confused. _"Mettaton…?"_

Mettaton whipped his head towards his cousin and grinned widely. "Blooky! Come here! You simply _have_ to see this!" He snatched Napstablook's stubby arm and pulled him up to the window.

Napstablook's eyes fell onto the sight outside, and they widened. _"Oh…wow…"_

Crystals flakes slowly rained from the sky, piling on everything in fresh blankets of snow. It was one thing to visit Snowdin Town, where snow certainly wasn't new, but seeing it on the _surface_ was just...

 _"So…beautiful…"_ Napstablook's mouth fell open in awe.

"Isn't it!?" Mettaton hugged him tightly. "I just couldn't let you miss it!"

Napstablook smiled warmly as he huddled against his cousin. " _I wonder what Mad thinks of this…"_

Mettaton giggled at the thought. "Oh, I'm sure he _loves_ it, darling!"

* * *

Alphys and Undyne were snuggled up on the couch, watching some anime.

 ** _SLAM!_**

 **"WHAT THE—"** Spears materialized by Undyne's side as she leapt from the couch. **"WHO'S THERE!?"**

When she received no response, Undyne charged over to the front door, where she soon came to a screeching halt. At her feet lay Mad Dummy, who was in the fetal position.

Amused, Undyne's spears vanished. "Heh. What's the matter, Mad? Don't like the snow?"

" _Don't like the snow?"_ the dummy repeated, a frantic look in his eyes. "I STAYED IN WATERFALL TO GET **_AWAY_** FROM THIS STUFF! Summer's already bad enough…and now there's _this!?_ " He shuddered.

"Ya got all four seasons to look forward to up here, Mad. Didn't quite think of that, did you?" Undyne crossed her arms and chuckled as he buried his face in the carpet.

Mad Dummy grudgingly looked up at her. "Okay, listen—I'm not asking you this as your punching bag; I'm asking you this as your _friend:_ **please** don't force me back out there. I know I've never complained about living in your yard, but I'm _begging_ you to let me stay in here for once."

Undyne blinked at him for a moment before stroking her chin. "Hm. I dunno, Mad…what's in it for me?"

"Are you serious—? I'll sleep in the freaking closet if I have to! You _know_ I've done that before!" Mad Dummy barked.

Undyne only continued to tap her chin as she looked at the ceiling.

The dummy hopped up in frustration. "Come on! I've NEVER asked you for anything the entire 15 years I've put up you! NOTHING!"

"Well, you _were_ kind of a jerk to me back then…forcing me not to talk to you and whatnot…"

"DO YOU WANT ME TO GO ON MY KNEE AND _BEG_ , WOMAN!? CUZ I **WILL!"** Mad Dummy was getting desperate.

Undyne started laughing. "Alright, alright—cool it! I'm just messin' with you. I love getting you all riled up." He glared at her, but then her face got serious. "If I catch you snooping around my room, though, I _will_ throw you out."

"Understood." Mad Dummy couldn't care less about that—he was just glad he didn't have to stay out in the yard all winter long.

Undyne turned around. "Oh, and since you seem to love that closet so much, I guess you'll be sleeping in there instead of the comfy ol' couch." She shrugged, and Mad Dummy could hear her snicker as she walked away.

The dummy rolled his eyes as he faced the door. "Well, given the circumstance, I suppose I can't argue with that," he grumbled, bracing himself to go outside one final time to grab his things.


	6. Christmas - An Act of Kindness

**Fun fact: I was originally going to finish this one-shot for Christmas LAST year, but got too lazy/distracted...XD**

* * *

Undyne shut the front door behind her. Stuffing her scarf in her coat pocket, she carefully hopped down the steps and into the driveway

"Hey, Mad!?"

There wasn't any response, but Undyne could see the dummy in the distance. He was merely standing in the middle of the yard, not even flinching when his name was called.

"What the heck…?"

Of course, Undyne was already used to Mad standing around in the yard. However, there was something about now that stuck out. Instead of moping around or grumbling to himself, Mad simply stayed in place, staring at the sky. In fact, upon taking a couple steps forward, Undyne noticed he was actually _smiling._

"Well this is certainly new!"

Mad jumped, obviously not expecting company.

"Are you actually taking a liking to this winter weather?" Undyne crossed her arms.

The dummy's smile immediately vanished. "Don't get me wrong—I still hate it," he grouched. "But it's just…different when everything's so _calm_ , you know?" He glanced around the yard. "The wind isn't blowing cold air and snow everywhere, and the snow isn't freaking 5 feet deep…"

Undyne took a moment to look around as well, although she mostly just stared at her punching bag. She couldn't remember the last time she had ever seen Mad Dummy so calm, either. It was really odd, but seeing how rare the sight was, she decided not to mess with him today. "Well anyway, I was just gonna tell you that Alphys and I are heading to Frisk's for the Christmas party. You sure you're not coming?"

Mad snorted. "This is my first family reunion in over a _decade_ ," he muttered. "It'll be a miracle if I come back tonight, so I'll probably see you tomorrow."

"Alright, well I hope you have fun, punk!" Undyne patted him on the back. She turned around once she saw Alphys walk out. "Ready to go?"

"Yup!" Alphys stepped over to her, careful not to slip on any ice.

"Awesome! I want to be the first to give Frisk my awesome present!" Undyne grinned. She grabbed Alphys's hand and dashed across the snow like an excited schoolgirl, nearly dragging the scientist with her.

Mad smirked as he watched them in amusement. Once the crunching of their footsteps began to fade away, he sighed as he took a seat by his bush. Digging through a little toolbox he kept full of personal items, he pulled out a watch.

 _1:42._

Mettaton had a Christmas performance at MTT resort, so he had called Mad ahead of time and claimed he would pick him up for the party around 2. Normally, Mad would take this time to warm up inside Undyne's house, but for once, the snow was actually quite bearable to be around.

Another smile reached Mad's mouth as he watched the trees gently sway in the wind. Instead of looking so prickly and dead, the snow covering the trees actually made them look quite beautiful.

"Of course—the weather finally decides to be nice on _Christmas_." The dummy rolled his eyes. "I wouldn't be surprised if we get a blizzard or something tomorrow." He dug through his box a bit more, pulling out some playing cards to entertain himself with.

 _Crunch…crunch…_

Mad twitched at the distant footsteps, but didn't turn around. _(Undyne probably forgot something. Like that's surprising at all…)_ He shuffled a few cards.

The footsteps continued behind him, rather uncharacteristically slow for Undyne. Mad fully expected to hear her voice, but there was only silence. Curious, he finally turned his head just a smidge.

His body immediately stiffened.

It wasn't Undyne. It wasn't Alphys, or Frisk, or anyone he had expected to see on Christmas day.

 _(Oh no. No no no—)_

Surprisingly enough, it was none other than King Asgore.

Now, Mad Dummy knew full-well that Asgore was one of the kindest, if not _the_ kindest monster in all of the underground. Everyone loved him, and Mad could certainly see why, even if he had never met the king face-to-face.

But, ironically enough, that kindness was exactly the reason why Asgore was so darn _intimidating_ to him.

Shutting his eyes, Mad practically stopped breathing. He partially released control of the dummy, that way it wouldn't look to be alive. He almost thought to retreat completely, but immediately dismissed the idea, not wanting to humiliate himself.

The footsteps stopped in front of him. "…Excuse me," a soft, but deep voice spoke.

Mad Dummy almost choked on his own breath. Why was Asgore talking to _him?_ How did he even know Undyne's punching bag was _alive?_ Accepting his defeat, Mad's eyes slowly opened to give the former king an awkward stare.

Asgore's eyes brightened. "Ah! I see Undyne was right," he chuckled. He was wearing a bright red Santa suit, obviously worn from years of use. "I do hope I'm not bothering you."

"Undyne's not home." Mad finally found his voice. He lowered his head, wondering why he was suddenly shaking. Maybe it was the fact that the large boss monster seemed to tower over him.

"Oh, I've already spoken with her beforehand, my friend; I'm well aware of that." Asgore gave him a friendly wink as he knelt down, setting down his sack. "But I believe _everyone_ deserves a visit from 'Santa', do they not?"

Mad Dummy snorted, still not looking at him. "I thought 'Santa' only visited the 'nice' people," he muttered.

Asgore laughed heartily as he reached inside his sack. "That is true. And in this case, this is also a very special request."

 _And?_ That definitely caught Mad's attention. "No. No no…you've got the wrong person." He frowned, finally raising his head. "If there's anyone who's _nice_ , it's _not_ me—believe me."

"My friend…let me tell you something." Asgore took out a red gift with a silver bow. "A 'nice' person is not defined by the quantity of their kindness. The smallest act of kindness can be worth more than even the grandest intentions."

"I—" Mad shut his mouth as realization swept over him. It was evident that someone had tattled to Asgore about the recent incident with Gyftrot, and he made a mental note to scream at Mettaton later. "That was—I was just—that doesn't mean I'm—" He tried to rack his brain for any other argument, but couldn't.

"Please," Asgore chuckled, "it's nothing to fret over. Here you are." He held out the gift, but Mad only stared at it.

"I…I really don't want anything, honestly," he stammered, purposely looking away.

Rather amused by the dummy's modesty, Asgore smirked. "Well…perhaps I should've rephrased my earlier statement—not only is this a very special request, but it is a token of my thanks as well."

Mad was puzzled. "…Thanks? For what?"

Asgore couldn't suppress a smile. "Let's just say…a certain 12-year-old girl used to tell me all about the 'coolest punching bag ever' during our old training sessions." He set the gift down in front of Mad, who was speechless. "It was a pleasure to meet you, Mad Dummy." Asgore took his sack and winked before he turned around to leave. "Thank you…for being there for her."

Mad Dummy stiffly watched Asgore trail through the snow and out of sight. Silently, he peered down at the gift below. He didn't touch it.

About two minutes passed by before more footsteps were heard, and this time, Mad recognized them immediately.

"I'm here, Maddy!" Mettaton shot his cousin a dazzling grin as he hiked through the snow. Behind him was Napstablook, who was situating his winter hat as he flew after the robot.

"Oh, hey," Mad mumbled, not quite able to focus properly.

Mettaton raised a brow. "What's wrong? Aren't you excited to go to the reunion?"

"I'm fine. I just—I got a lot on my mind right now." Mad shook his head as he stepped forward, unintentionally nudging the present aside.

Napstablook eyed the gift curiously _"Oh…is that for Undyne?"_

"No, it's—er, it's for me, I guess…" Mad's voice grew quieter as he gently picked it up. "It's…actually from Asgore."

 _"That's very nice of him."_ Napstablook smiled.

"Well? How about you go ahead and open it before we leave? I want to see what it is!" Mettaton squealed.

"I guess…" Mad mumbled as he plucked the ribbon off. He tore away the wrapper, revealing a small box that was taped shut. Once he opened it with the help of his trusty knife, he stared inside. He blinked.

"What is it?" Mettaton bounced up and down eagerly.

A small snicker escaped the dummy, surprising his cousins.

"What's so funny?"

Napstablook peered inside the box. _"…Oh!"_ He laughed.

Mad Dummy pulled out a small teacup that was meant to resemble him. The fact that it had a smiley-face and stitches all around was actually pretty adorable.

"I…honestly don't know how I feel about this," he stifled a laugh, not expecting anything like this.

 _"Now we both have teacups that look like us,"_ Napstablook giggled.

"Hey…no fair! _I_ never got a teacup!" Mettaton pouted.

Mad rolled his eyes. "You hate tea, remember?"

"Well…it's the thought that counts, anyway." Mettaton shrugged, and Mad smirked as he put the cup back inside the box. "Let's just go to the limo already. I've got hot chocolate waiting inside!" The robot grinned as he hurried through the snow. Napstablook followed close behind.

Mad Dummy took his time, careful not to break the fragile cup inside the box. As he hopped across the snow, his mind began to wander yet again.

The fact that Asgore, someone he barely knew and had never even met, was willing to put time and effort to create and give him such a gift was just…unbelievable. Normally, Mad was extremely wary when it came to 'nice' people. Being one who wasn't exactly shown much kindness most of his life, the idea of it was incredibly outlandish, even to the point where random acts of kindness actually _scared_ him.

But today, Mad finally understood. This wasn't just some random act of kindness; Asgore had genuinely wanted to thank him. And it was all because someone had actually managed to spot a side of Mad Dummy that most others couldn't see. It felt awfully nice to have _good_ rumors spread around rather than bad, for once…

"Maddy! Are you frozen back there!? Come on!" Mettaton hollered.

Mad looked up and shook his head. "Yeah, yeah…I'm coming!" He finally managed to catch up with his cousins, and he couldn't help but smile more.

Having the first Christmas on the surface was already unforgettable, but this genuine act of kindness had definitely made it all the more special.


End file.
